Immunovaccine and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute are to collaborate on formulating the latter’s HIV protein antigens on Immunovaccine’s DepoVax™ vaccine-enhancement and delivery platform. The goal is to evaluate whether the DepoVax technology will boost the resulting vaccine’s ability to generate immune responses.

Immunovaccine’s patented DepoVax platform is an evolution of the firm’s original finding that formulating immunogens in liposomes and then in an oil carrier results in significantly enhanced immune responses. The final DepoVax technology is actually a dry product that is inherently stable, the company claims. Once reconstituted for injection, the active components are retained in the oil phase. Immunovaccine says that this allows a long-lasting depot effect that elicits potent humoral and/or cellular immunity after just one dose.

The company’s lead therapeutic candidate is the anticancer vaccine DPX-0907. The Phase I trial started enrolling patients last month. The study will enroll up to 24 patients with advanced breast, ovarian, or prostate cancer. DPX-0907 combines seven essential peptide antigens with the DepoVax delivery platform.

“This study has significant implications for the company as it will determine the safety of the DPX-0907 vaccine in humans and contributes to our knowledge of the DepoVax platform,” says Randal Chase, Ph.D., president and CEO. “A positive outcome from the Phase I study would be a catalyst for human therapeutic licensing deals for our DepoVax platform and would allow us to move DPX-0907 further into the clinic.”